I have been successful in getting through the screening process for HCT and in anticipation of a positive outcome am looking at possibilities for my partner who has not been so successful. We have been working towards our MA in Applied Linguistics and will have this in a few months time, however the required 3-5 years in teaching ESL/EFL is lacking.

Do you consider that there will be any hope in my partner gaining work if I am successful in gaining my position with the HCT. He has many years experience at teaching/training but not in the area of esl english. Your feedback would be appreciated.

If you get the job with HCT, you will be provided with all the benefits and you can sponsor him. He should be able to pick up some work that will provide him with more experience to put on his CV. There are language schools and it even could happen that one of the better places like HCT or ZU or PI could be short a teacher and pick him up on a temporary local contract. Also, if HCT hires you, be sure that they are aware of his experience.

Of course, this is true if you are in one of the bigger places like Dubai or Abu Dhabi or Sharjah or perhaps Al-Ain. If you were put in Ras al-Khaima or Fujairah, the pickings for him would be slim.

You know, the HCT in UAE always amaze me. I have colleagues with Masters in EFT / Applied Lingustics / other relevant subjects PLUS years of experience in the Middle East - but not too many! - and they don't even get through the screening process.

Here we have a fellow TEFLer who is at the moment minus Masters and minus the length of experience requested, and she does advance to the next stage.

Janette, this is nothing negative about you, please don't think that; I wish you all the best and hope both you and your husband get the positions you want, but I truly don't understand HCT thinking.

Some places prefer to hire people with less expertience so they can "form" them to suit the institution. Less experienced employees are seen as more malleable and less likely to make waves, as it were.

I think that she meant that her husband was missing the relevent experience or at least that was what I assumed. And, she still hasn't passed the interview, so she has only passed the first hurdle.

But, you are right about the hiring policies of HCT. I know so many highly professional and excellent teachers who couldn't get interviews with them or 'failed' the interview somehow.

I think the problem there is the high number of applicants. They portion out the CVs to lots of people and who knows if they are all using the same criteria. And then there is the problem that different people do the interviewing at different times. I do think that they don't want people who are too set in their ways. I never did figure out how I got hired there.

I can understand your comments and reservations about certain institutions' hiring practices, and yes, you are correct that I do not as yet have the Masters.

I do believe however that I have passed the screening process at HCT based on my initial degree, diploma and certificates gained together with 25 years experience and 10 years in a supervisory role. The position applied for is not english, but computing and I met the criteria outlined easily.

My husband decided to complete the Masters to enable him to gain work overseas teaching english as he does not hold an initial degree qualification and I guess I thought I would just keep him company.

HCT doesn't require MAs (though probably the majority of their teachers have one). You are lucky not to be applying in EFL because it is so competitive. I suspect that what got me in was that I could teach across disciplines.

Thank you for this. Yes, this is what I am hoping for too ... that by the time I get an interview (?) I will have received by MA and hopefully will be able to teach across disciplines but have no experience in teaching EFL though. Oh well, you can only try.

My main concern is my husband gaining employment - I don't think he would make a good house husband some how and once again he will have his MAL but no experience.

Are you happy at HCT? I did apply for a supervisor's position but didn't succeed at this one, so hope that teaching computing for them will be satisfying.

I taught there many years ago, but I definitely enjoyed it. I taught at one of the women's colleges and it was a great experience. I have friends who still teach for them in various cities, and other than the usual grousing that we all do now and again, none of them are thinking of leaving.

Teaching in IT should be very good and if you can add an English class now and again to get some experience for the CV, that would be even better.

I taught there many years ago, but I definitely enjoyed it. I taught at one of the women's colleges and it was a great experience. I have friends who still teach for them in various cities, and other than the usual grousing that we all do now and again, none of them are thinking of leaving.

Teaching in IT should be very good and if you can add an English class now and again to get some experience for the CV, that would be even better.

Hopefully all will work out.

VS

I'm pretty glad to hear this.
I was also just accepted to one of the women's colleges in the HCT system. (Teaching computers.) I will be starting Feb 2 and just found out last week. I had to decide if I would leave Korea or not in quite a short fashion. So I am packing up, leaving my fiance in Korea for 4 months to finish her contract. Then she will join me in the UAE and will be in the same boat as the OP's hubby. (Yes, we know we have to get married before she comes...We are heading back to Canada on the summer break.)

She has 3 years ESL teaching experience across all age levels. Kindy to university. A bachelors degree and is working on a Masters in Applied Linguistics. I think she is a little concerned about finding a job but I think short term contracts or private schools will be an easy option. (hopefully) An HCT placement would be gravy. I assume easier if in-country where you can make connections and perhaps work part-time.

By the way OP: Are you married to your partner? (that is always a strange term for me when I am trying to figure out status) Sorry to pry...I'm just wondering for obvious reasons.

I noted that the OP does use the word 'husband' in other messages. Whenever I hear the word 'partner' I always tend to think it must mean same sex or not married. This political correctness can be confusing. But, whether the OP is or isn't, it doesn't change the fact that you will make your life much simpler by marrying this summer as per your plan. (or at least simpler as to living together in the Gulf... )

Your future wife should have no problem getting work unless you are in Ras al-Khaima or Fujaira... Al-Ain is also smaller.

I just had a further question for you if you don't mind. Did you have an opportunity to negotiate your starting salary and how long after you passed the initial screening did you gain an interview? Is your position as Basic Computing Faculty?

I just had a further question for you if you don't mind. Did you have an opportunity to negotiate your starting salary and how long after you passed the initial screening did you gain an interview? Is your position as Basic Computing Faculty?

Thanks

I applied for last year but wouldn't finish my degree in time so I didn't make the cut. (I had lots of experience but not a 4 year degee (long story)...returned to school to get a Bachelors..now working on my Masters)

So I applied in Nov 2003 (denied after the initial interview February 2004)
I came to Korea instead and got the notification in Jan 2005 that they wanted me there in February 2005.

I've been allocated to the IT faculty. (I have no idea what that means...) I haven't received my security clearance yet and my plane tickets haven't been released yet. I fly out on February 2nd...(hopefully)

As for starting salary..maybe they are negotiable and I had them in a last minute sort of situation so if it is possible I was in a position to do it. But to be quite honest what they offered me was what they offered a friend of mine the previous year. (which I guess some might argue is a lot more than they are offering me if you look at the value of the US dollar these days.) They seem pretty bureaucratic and the offer seems fair. I just accepted it. (who knows...)

Anyway I hope things work out for you and maybe we will be co-workers one day. (pretty similar circumstances.)